Orthopedic sling

ABSTRACT

An orthopedic sling of a tape-type material having a first section disposed in a configuration of a loop for extending over a person&#39;&#39;s shoulder and for upwardly supporting an arm, and having a second section for extending from the loop and across the person&#39;&#39;s other shoulder and down to the front of his body for supporting the person&#39;&#39;s hand, and having a third section extending from the loop and down to a person&#39;&#39;s belt for anchoring this sling. The third section has a belt loop for releasably attaching to the person&#39;&#39;s belt for removal of the sling from the person&#39;&#39;s clothing or body. The lower end of the second section has a hand-supporting portion with a thumb hole for anchoring on to the person&#39;&#39;s hand.

United States Patent 91 Rash ORTHOPEDIC SLING [76] Inventor: Caroline M. Rash, 1200 Kenilworth Avenue, Racine, Wis. 53403 [22] Filed: Jan. 21, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 219,808

[4 1 May 1, 1973 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko Attorney-Arthur J. l-lansmann [57] ABSTRACT An orthopedic sling of a tape-type material having a first section disposed in a configuration of a loop for extending over a persons shoulder and for upwardly supporting an arm, and having a second section for extending from the loop and across the persons other shoulder and down to the front of his body for supporting the persons hand, and having a third section extending from the loop and down to a persons belt for anchoring this sling. The third section has a belt loop for releasably attaching to the persons belt for removal of the sling from the persons clothing or body. The lower end of the second section has a handsupporting portion with a thumb hole for anchoring on to the persons hand. I

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 v -3,730,164

ORTHOPEDIC SLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art is aware of many different forms of orthopedic slings or arm supports, particularly those which are used for supporting a broken arm. These prior art slings are commonly made from a tape-type material, such as a canvas tape, and they extend over the person s shoulder for giving upward support to the persons arm at a location along the persons forearm. Examples of these prior art supports are seen in U. S. Pats. No. 2,460,589 and No. 3,307,538.

Orthopedic slings are commonly arranged to have the sling supported on the person body but away from a position behind the persons neck so that the weight of the persons arm is not fully carried by the back of the persons neck. This arrangement is generally shown in the two aforementioned patents, and it is of concern in the present invention. Additionally, thepresent invention is concerned with the problem of supporting a persons arm where the person has a drop shoulder, such as that which is the result of a stroke, or for any reason where the shoulder muscle is weak or stretched so that it does not properly support the arm upwardly. Further, the problem with slings is that they frequently require that another person assist the wearer in putting the sling on and in taking it off. Still further, slings of the prior art are made in complicated shapes and patterns and they therefore require considerable stitching and manufacturing attention, even including the sling shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,460,589 which requires several places where the sling must be sewn together. Still further, with regard to said patent, the slingsof the prior art do not permit maximum freedom of the supported arm while giving the necessary upward support to the arm, such as is apparent by the restraining portion which engages the wearers wrist as shown in the said patent.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to improve upon the slings heretofore known, and such improvement is at least generally along the lines indicated above.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplified orthopedic sling which is made of a single length of tape material. and which does not bear against the persons back of the neck in supporting the weight of the arm, and which can be put on and taken off by the person himself throughthe use of only one hand, and which is anchored to the persons waist belt or the like so that the sling is not carrying the full weight on the persons body.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a simplified type of orthopedic sling which has a minimum of places for sewing the sling together from a single length of tape material, especially when considering the features of providing a hand rest portion and a waist belt attachment member.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an orthopedic sling which is particularly useful in supporting a persons arm where there is a drop shoulder, and

the sling is arranged so that the person can apply the sling and remove the sling by using only one hand and without the need for assistance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the sling of this invention and showing it on a person.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the person with the sling shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of the sling shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the sling slightly enlarged and removed from the wearer but being held in a person s arms.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the belt loop shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. land 2 show, in dotted lines, a person wearing the sling of this invention, and it will be understood that the persons right arm is being upwardly supported by the sling, and it may be further understood that the person has the condition of a drop shoulder where the right arm would normally be immobile and dependent from the shoulder. Thus the orthopedic sling shown may be made of a tape material, such as a canvas tape, and, it is also shown to be made in one length of a piece of tape with only one location for sewing the piece of tape, and that location being identified as 10 in FIGS. 2 and 3 where stitching is shown and where the tape is crossed at right angles to itself, as shown. Thus, the tape extends from its one end 11 to its other end 12, and it forms a first or loop section 13. FIG. 1 shows that the loop 13 extends over the persons right shoulder and down to his forearm adjacent the elbow, so that the loop has a forwardly disposed length 14 in a vertical disposition and in front of the person. FIGS. 2 and 3 show that the loop 13 has a rearwardly disposed section, generally designated 16 and located at the wearers right shoulder blade and extending to the stitched or attached location 10. I

Thus, with the loop 13, the wearers right arm can be inserted into the loop 13, and the arm is then upwardly supported by the loop 13 with the support being on the person s right shoulder and with the crossed or stitched attachment point being away from the back of the neck of the person but instead being at the persons right shoulder blade.

The tape continues in another section 17 which extends from the attachment point 10 and across the per sons left shoulder and into a vertical section 18 at the front of the persons body. The section 18 terminated in the lower end or tape end 11 which connects to a hand rest 19. The rest 19 may be of a soft leather material, and it has a flat and wide portion 21 which faces the palm of the person's hand, and it has a narrower portion 22which extends over the back of the persons hand and which has a button 23 for releasably fastening to the portion. 21. Also, the tape end 11 may have an eyelet 24 through which the hand support strap 22 may extend for attaching to the sling tape. Also, the hand rest portion 19 has a thumb hole 26 which snugly receives the persons thumb so that the person may have a comfortable and flexible position for his right hand, and the thumb hole 26 provides an attachment to the persons right hand so that the hand cannot readily slip off the hand rest 19, realizing that the persons right arm is perhaps completely immobile or beyond muscular control due to the physical condition of the person.

The sling also has a third section 27 which extends from the attachment point and downwardly across the persons back and terminates in the tape end 12. Also, a belt loop 28 is attached to the tape end 12 and encircles the persons waist belt 29 for anchoring the sling to the persons belt 29. The loop 28 may have a ready connect and disconnect arrangement for placing it around the belt 29, and such connection is indicated in FIG. 4 where a pressure type of connect or fastening material 31 is disposed between the belt loop ends 32 Y and 33 such that the end 33 can be pulled directly away from the conventional type of pressure responsive material 31 for attaching and detaching the loop 28 relative to the belt 29. That is, the type of material 31 does not hold against a force which pulls the loop end 33 directly away from the material 31, but it does hold against a force which pulls the loop end 33 along the face of the material 31 which is extending between the loop ends 32 and 33 and which is affixed to the loop end 32 which of course in turn is affixed to the sling tape end 12.

Therefore, with sling described, it will be understood and seen that the weight of the persons arm is not carried by the back of the persons neck, and the loop 13 forms an upward support for the arm so that a drop shoulder patient can receive adequate support from the sling. Still further, a person having use of only one arm can readily and easily apply the sling, without anyones assistance, by tossing the sling onto ones back in a position where the ailing arm can be inserted into the loop 13 and where the sling section 17 is in the front of the person so that the right hand can be placed in the hand rest 19, then the person need only reach behind his back and secure the belt loop 28 to the waist belt 29, and that can be done with the one mobile arm. Similarly, the sling can be removed by the person himself, without assistance. Also, when the person is wearing the sling, the section 17 permits the person to swing his arm relative to the body, that is, it is not restrained or anchored to the body, so the persons ailing arm still obtains some exercise.

In the manufacture of the sling, the tape itself is stitched only at the location 10 where the tape is crossed at right angles to itself, and the three sections, namely loop 13 and hand section 17 and belt section 27 are all of the same length from the attachment point 10, for fit to the wearer and for simplification of manufacture for various sizes of the sling. Also, it will be understood that the belt section 27 pulls down on the attachment point 10 to assist in supporting the weight of the ailing arm, so the entire weight is not carried by the persons body, at least not at the back of the persons neck. Still further, the sling is arranged with the arm section 17 which actually pulls upwardly along its length and into the extended length of the loop lower portion 16 so that again the weight of the arm is not fully carried at one point on the persons body but the weight of the persons forearm or hand itself will counter the weight of the loop 13 supporting the remainder of the persons arm, as Will be understoo and seen with reference to F IG. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. An orthopedic sling of a tape-type material for supporting an arm of a person and having a first section in a loop configuration through which a person can insert his arm and have the loop extend over the persons shoulder and under his elbow, when the arm is bent and in front of the persons body, for upwardly supporting the arm, a second section attached to the first section adapted to and extend over the persons other shoulder and terminate at the front of the person s body, a handrest piece attached to the terminal end of said second section for supporting the persons hand, and a third section attached to said first section at the point of attachment of said second section and including means connected to the downwardly extending end of said third section for attachment to the persons waist belt to pull downwardly on the point of attachment to move it away from the back of the persons neck.

2. The sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said three sections are all made from one continuous length of the tape having the two ends adapted to be respectively at the persons hand and at persons waist belt, said one length being right-angled crossed upon itself atsaid point of attachment and being stitched together there.

3. The sling as claimed in claim 2, wherein said three sections, including said loop, are the same length.

4. The sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means includes a belt loop connected to the downwardly extending end of said third section for the attachment to the person s waist belt.

5. The sling as claimed in claim 4, wherein said belt loop includes a quick connect and disconnect means for attachment and release of said belt loop relative to a person 's belt.

6. The sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handrest piece has an opening therein for snugly receiving the persons thumb in the supporting position of the hand-rest piece. 

1. An orthopedic sling of a tape-type material for supporting an arm of a person and having a first section in a loop configuration through which a person can insert his arm and have the loop extend over the person''s shoulder and under his elbow, when the arm is bent and in front of the person''s body, for upwardly supporting the arm, a second section attached to the first section adapted to and extend over the person''s other shoulder and terminate at the front of the person''s body, a handrest piece attached to the terminal end of said second section for supporting the person''s hand, and a third section attached to said first section at the point of attachment of said second section and including means connected to the downwardly extending end of said third sectiOn for attachment to the person''s waist belt to pull downwardly on the point of attachment to move it away from the back of the person''s neck.
 2. The sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said three sections are all made from one continuous length of the tape having the two ends adapted to be respectively at the person''s hand and at person''s waist belt, said one length being right-angled crossed upon itself at said point of attachment and being stitched together there.
 3. The sling as claimed in claim 2, wherein said three sections, including said loop, are the same length.
 4. The sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means includes a belt loop connected to the downwardly extending end of said third section for the attachment to the person''s waist belt.
 5. The sling as claimed in claim 4, wherein said belt loop includes a quick connect and disconnect means for attachment and release of said belt loop relative to a person''s belt.
 6. The sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hand-rest piece has an opening therein for snugly receiving the person''s thumb in the supporting position of the hand-rest piece. 